"Up to a point a man's life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him; then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say this I am today; that I will be tomorrow."

Editor's Note: This is a very difficult book to read for me. Yet I will read it at least two more times. I was raised in an atmosphere where it wasn’t always right to say what was on your mind and so I still maintain many techniques which get me around conversations instead of through them. This is especially true with those closest to me personally and in business. This book causes me to want to change. Scott’s basic themes are “a fierce conversation is one where we come out from behind ourselves into the conversation and make it real” and “the conversation is the relationship.”

Editor's Note: An obscure but long time favorite of mine, David Wilcox, wrote this song many years ago. It came back to me though while I was writing this month's blog about Jake and Father Welsh. It's an upbeat song that reminds us that life can only be lived well one day and one moment at a time.

"You can only make money by being right about something that most people think is wrong.

Editor’s note: This is the best business book I’ve read in a year or more. Mr. Sinek uses simple, if sometimes repetitive language and tangible examples to support the concept that great businesses are centered on “why” they exist rather than “what” and “how”. Sinek teaches forming your “why” and also how to use your “what” and “how” to maintain and build that “why”. He also tells of those who found their “why” then lost it. He thinks, and I quite agree that people prefer buying from and working for organizations with a clear purpose beyond making widgets.

Editor’s Note: Alright, picture me at 19 years old still in the college angst of “what’s the meaning of my life?” The song will make more sense that way as I can still remember singing along with my friend, Bobby Jackson, on the deck of our apartment when it was playing. I’m a pure child of the 60s electronic rock and roll and as such I loved Edgar and Johnny Winter as much or more than their more famous brethren. This song features a simple, haunting keyboard and strings behind Edgar’s bluesy, pleading voice – yep I’m a sucker.

Editor’s Note: Because I read a lot of books and articles on philanthropy, I assumed this would be another dull but earnest attempt to improve the world of charitable giving, but Dan Palotta makes a pretty compelling case for the need to move towards a free-market system (e.g. investment in marketing, tolerance for risk, competitive pay) in order to win the war against poverty and disease. Dan will be coming to Cleveland on April 10th to the Cleveland Social Venture Partners' (CSVP) second annual bigBANG! event. Go to http://bigbang.csvp.org/ for more information.

Editor’s Note: I’m not Lennon’s biggest fan but I love the thought “nothing’s going change my world”.

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

Editor’s comment: The soft side of business is the most difficult for most people, including me. And yet, the two most successful companies I’ve been involved in demonstrated exactly what Lenioni describes in his book , The Advantage. He writes like a consultant, which is annoying at times, and yet the book’s point is crystal clear and should be read by every organizational leader, no matter what type of business they are involved in.